


The Weight of a Country

by carrotcouple



Category: Akatsuki no Yona | Yona of the Dawn
Genre: Gen, I wrote this in the middle of the night, Multiple times, and now that i've reread this, but I'm posting it anyway, i don't really like it, king taejun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-28
Updated: 2018-03-28
Packaged: 2019-04-14 02:23:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14126055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carrotcouple/pseuds/carrotcouple
Summary: The irony almost made him want to laugh.





	The Weight of a Country

As a child he always believed he would end up a part of the royal family. In his mind he could still see it clearly, all those years ago he had laughed brightly up at a face he was now starting to forget and had said: “Then you must be King Hiryuu, father!”. As he grew older he grew more knowledgeable but also more arrogant. He had tried to take advantage of the weak heir to the throne, the lone flower, the princess he now couldn’t bear to think of harming.

“Taejun sama please stay still.”

How times had changed. For his entire life, for close to twenty four years of his life, he had imagined that he would one day take the throne. But now he wanted nothing more than to wake up with aching muscles on an extra cold morning and step out of his room to help those in need. If he hadn’t started so late, Taejun was sure that he might have developed a deep desire to become a doctor.

“Aren’t these sleeves far too long?” Taejun asked uncomfortably.

“What are you talking about? These sleeves are just fine.”

The closest his life had ever gotten to falling apart was when he had nearly killed the former princess. He could still feel the guilt of that incident eating away at him. He had disgraced his family, his brother had abandoned him and his father deemed him useless. Perhaps that had all been apart of a far greater plan that he could comprehend. 

“These clothes are far too extravagant.” Taejun muttered.

“Of course! What did you expect?”

He preferred common yukata now, with rough material and sleeves he could push up so he wouldn’t cake the edges in mud and soak them in water. Those were clothes he could work in. They were easy to put on and easy to take off. With those clothes, he was able to stand side by side and equally with his people.

“Well, well, now don’t you just look positively stunning, Taejun- _ sama? _ ” Taejun turned when he heard a voice he knew well. The Ryokuryuu stood in the doorways, smirking and taking in Taejun’s appearance.

“Stop hitting on his just because he’s become good looking lately.” Hakuryuu scoffed.

“Ah, but lately he has the same look in his eyes that the Princess does. Isn’t that enough to excite you?” Ryokuryuu asked, obviously teasing.

Taejun tried not to cringe. He had already grown used to their antics.

“Did you forget the kind of cry baby he used to be?” Hakuryuu asked, pointing wildly in Taejun’s direction, clearly taking Ryokuryuu’s teasing seriously.

“He still is a crybaby,” Ouryuu cut in gravely.

Taejun watched the three dragons bicker and he remembered a time when he had wanted to be one.

_ “Father! Father! I want to be Hakuryuu!” _

He wondered what his father thought of him. When his father had died, what had stung him the most was that he hadn’t talked to his father in a long time. As a child his father had sparkled brighter than any other for him. And Taejun had wanted to be an asset for the King Hiryuu he thought he knew.

He was ushered out of the room and saw his brother standing before him. His brother stared at him for a while before a fond smile spread across his face.

“You look noble, little brother.”

Taejun smiled hesitantly.

“I do not wish to be noble. I feel as if I am taking what you deserve more than I.” Taejun whispered, weaving his fingers together nervously.

“Princess Yona could not have made a better choice. I am proud of you.”

His brother entered the Hiryuu castle gates long before he did and he stood there, his heart threatening to beat out of his chest. He did not know why he stood there for he did no deserve it. He was a sinner in his own mind. He wasn’t a noble or some kind of God. He was a pathetic, weak and sinful human.

“Are you ready, Taejun sama?” Taejun heard a voice whisper through the crack between the gates.

_ He was not. _

“I am ready.” 

The gates swung open and Taejun strode in, careful not to step on the hem of his robes. One step at a time. One step at a time. He couldn’t afford to be clumsy on such a day.  _ One step at a time. _

Around him he heard whispers and murmurs and he wished to to sink into the ground and vanish. But there were others there, companions with whom he had had adventures and with each step he took they gave him more strength.

Throwing away the self he had despised had been a challenge and he now stood, stripped down to just raw ambition, passion, kindness and nervousness. He felt far too insignificant to be walking down the carpeted path his feet tread on.

At the foot of the stairs stood a man Taejun had hated for a very long time. Taejun had feared and loathed him for almost as long as he could remember knowing him. But now the raijuu offered him a teasing and disarming grin.

“You didn’t fall over like the day you set off those fireworks. Good.” 

Taejun flushed and but his lip to keep himself from retaliating in embarrassment. Taejun slowly ascended the stairs as memories of his life flashed before him. He knelt at the top step and looked up at the Princess who stood above him, her gaze strong and her hair reflecting the sunlight. She was like a thousand suns and he paled in comparison to her.

“Kang Taejun.” She said loudly and her voice boomed across the entire square. “I ask of you, do you accept this crown?”

Taejun sucked in a sharp breath. It was strange. His entire life he had sought to be apart of the royal family. As a child he wished for his father to be King Hiryuu, as a teenager he had tried to become King through the Princess and then he had been cripplingly humbled. His father had died trying to take the throne. He had wished to be a vassal of King Hiryuu for his entire life. And here he was kneeling before the most brilliant star in the world, a jeweled crown held above his head. The irony almost made him want to laugh.

“Princess, I still do not think I am worthy.” He started to stammer quietly.

“Taejun, will you accept this country and protect it as you would your own child?” She asked with a soft smile, her voice a whisper too.

He knelt there dumbstruck. He thought of all the lessons he had learned. He thought of all the people that he loved. He thought of the country he had come to value more than his own life. 

_ How could he refuse? _

“Yes,” He answered loudly.

She beamed and lowered the weight of the country onto his head. He slowly stood up and turned around, facing what was now, his country, his people. The generals all stepped forward to pay their respects. They left him winded but then the dragons stepped onto the stairs. 

“Congratulations lad, I told you, you would be important to this country.” Ouryuu said with a childish grin that Taejun knew was filled with centuries of wisdom.

“You’ve come a long way and you definitely deserve this crown.” Ryokuryuu braced his hand on his side, for once not playful and teasing.

“We will come running to your aid should you ever need us.” Hakuryuu said, raising his dragon hand to his chest in a sign of respect and duty.

“I...am glad that you are on the throne” Seiryuu said in his halting and shy way, but Taejun knew he meant every word.

“Just letting you know if you bug me when I’m sleepy, I’ll kill you.” The raijuu yawned, a fierce twinkle in his eye that spoke of more amusement than irritation.

“I want full access to the library. Oh, congratulations, by the way.” The young, seemingly-cold, young doctor grinned warmly despite his words.

“Taejun, thank you for becoming someone ready to give their all for Kouka at a moment’s notice.” His star stood there, such a happy look on her face, Taejun was overwhelmed.

The square went silent and Taejun realized they were waiting for him to speak. Taejun turned to look back at Heukchi who simply bowed his head respectfully. Taejun resisted the urge to shudder and turned to look back at  _ his people _ .

His country was a broken one that had only started to mend. There were still people they had not reached, there were still people who were suffering. Taejun clenched his fists.

“Our country is a country rich with history and it has suffered so much. I will dedicate my life to this country and its people. I will make it so that one day we can all stand up proudly and never suffer again!” Taejun shouted.

The crowd erupted into deafening cheers and Taejun caught his brother’s eyes. His brother grinned and then very uncharacteristically winked.

Taejun held back his laughter and his heart soared.

_ Father, I wish you were here to see this. _

**Author's Note:**

> I've always been a huge fan of the theory that Taejun might become King, one because he's a great character with fabulous character development and second, cause he's my favorite character. Of course, after waking up in the morning after writing this, I realized that Taejun and Kouka would have to go through some serious developments before Taejun could actually become King - developments which I have clearly failed to show in this fanfic, help. Anyways, please enjoy my little self indulgent fic of King Taejun.


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